On Thursday, the Competition Council initiated an official inquiry into potential anticompetitive behaviors within the industrial sardine supply market, marking a significant regulatory effort in a field that has remained mostly unregulated for a considerable time.
An investigation revealed “ample convincing proof,” as described by the council, indicating organized market manipulation over twenty years involving fifteen industry groups. These entities represent fishing boat operators, large-scale processors, and wholesale distributors of fish. They might have colluded to fix initial sale prices for sardines and intentionally reduced output.
The council stated that these practices manipulated market prices, limited competition, and prevented new participants from entering, which ultimately had negative effects on consumers as well as the entire fishing sector.
The sardine industry in Morocco, which is a cornerstone of the country’s fishing sector, has been grappling with challenges posed by climate change, excessive harvesting, and increasing customer demands for years.
The core of the issue revolves around accusations that the involved parties distorted fair market operations through price manipulation agreements that either inflated or deflated sardine prices unnaturally, along with production limits that hindered competitive practices. Should these allegations be substantiated, they would constitute a significant violation of Morocco’s antitrust regulations.
This probe could prove a turning point for Morocco’s fisheries sector, laying the groundwork for greater transparency and more competitive market dynamics in one of the country’s most strategic industries.
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Morocco initiates investigation into sardine market following 20 years of suspected price manipulation.
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